[Above image credit: Sonar.es]
Avalon Emerson and Courtesy are regulars of the Mixes To Dig series for good reason. The sets of few other DJs share the raw energy or selection abilities of those by these two, something that is evident in both their podcasts (see the Courtesy’s recent appearance on the Hessle Audio show) and their recorded show mixes (see Avalon Emerson @ Printworks).
The video stream and crowd noise, provide evidence of the enjoyment of both the crowd and DJs as Avalon and Courtesy take it in turn to drop bombs from the outset. Opening with the latest Hessle Audio release, Batu – Marius, little time is wasted getting into the flow of things. Around 16 minutes in Courtesy drops one of the highlights from Avalon’s Printworks set, an unidentified track with a beautiful melancholic melody. The mix beyond this point is a blur as the DJs take the crowd on a relentless journey through techno, low BPM hardcore and breakbeat, providing the crowd with little respite other than the odd breakdown before the kick drum slams back in.
With their performance at Sónar, Avalon and Courtesy add to their enviable list of standout mixes from this year, with this performance being an example of how a back-to-back should be done.